Access to abortion would be severely restricted, violators punished under newly filed NC House bill

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Three state House Republicans are looking to enact further restrictions on abortion in a move that would lead to a near-total ban of the procedure in North Carolina.

House Bill 804, titled Human Life Protection Act of 2025, would ban abortion outside of a spontaneous abortion, to remove an ectopic pregnancy, or save or preserve the health of an unborn child or mother.

"We support all pro-life bills because we believe unborn babies are humans that deserve protection from the moment of conception on and we believe that children have the right to life," said Tami Fitzgerald, Executive Director of NC Values Coalition.

The push comes just two years after Republicans overrode then-Governor Roy Cooper's veto of Senate Bill 20, which ushered in a 12-week limit, with additional restrictions, in the state.

"We believe that protections are in order for unborn babies that are greater than just 12 weeks, because right after Senate Bill 20 was passed, as good as it is, we got new abortion statistics that showed that 92% of all the abortions in North Carolina are performed before 12 weeks," said Fitzgerald.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, abortions in North Carolina dropped in July and August 2023, the first two months after Senate Bill 20 went into effect.

"Year after year, we have extreme politicians introduce the same heinous bill that would ban abortion and turn North Carolina into a forced birth state. That's exactly what this bill is. So, no, I wasn't surprised, but I'm definitely disappointed," said Jillian Riley, State Director of Public Affairs with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.

She's further concerned with House Bill 553, a measure which would add requirements for patients to access medication abortion.

"We should not be moving to restrict access to abortion care any further. It's absolutely ridiculous. There are already so many restrictions on access to medication abortion and access to abortion care in general for North Carolinians. We're seeing North Carolinians have to leave the state in order to be able to access care. And that is not something that should be happening right now," Riley said.

House Bill 804 does not include exceptions for rape or incest.

Under the proposed measure, those who perform, induce, or attempt an abortion could face both criminal and civil penalties, including a Class B felony, a fine of at least $100,000 for each violation, and the revocation of a "license, permit, registration, certificate, or other authority of a physician or other health care professional."

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The measure passed on first reading and was referred to the Committee on Tuesday, though whether there's enough support, even among Republicans, to move it forward remains to be seen. Further, unlike in 2023 when Republicans held a supermajority in both chambers, they only hold a supermajority in the Senate, meaning they would need to win over Democratic support in the House to override a veto should it ultimately land on Governor Josh Stein's desk.

Broadly, reproductive rights remain an important issue for voters.

"It has moved up to for a lot of North Carolinians to one of the top four issues," said Dr. David McLennan, a Professor of Political Science at Meredith College.

He expects that to remain the case in 2026, when North Carolina will have a Senate race, likely to be one of the most competitive nationally.

"HB 804 is going to be used and it won't be forgotten even if this bill doesn't come out of or even go to committee. It's already been mentioned, so it will be used as a campaign issue," said McLennan, who expects the topic to also be used as part of fundraising efforts.

SEE ALSO | NC Republican lawmakers introduce 'bathroom bill' with shades of HB2

ABC 11 reached out to the bill's three sponsors - Rep. Keith Kidwell (District 79), Rep. Ben Moss. (District 52), and Rep. Donnie Loftis (District 109) - for comment. A legislative assistant for Rep. Moss tells ABC 11 he was unavailable for an interview; we have not heard back from Rep. Kidwell or Rep. Loftis as of 3:30 EST.

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